EPPS 



BY 

ROBERT BROWNING 



THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 

'9*3 

All ngbts reserved 



EPPS 



BY 

ROBERT BROWNING 



Neijj gork 
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 

All rights reser-ved 



1^ 



Copyright, 1Q13, 
By the MACMILLAN COMPANY. 



NortoaaO sprees 

J. 8. Oushing Co. -^ Berwick & Smiith Co. 

Norwood, Mass., D.8.A 

©01.4357^2:5 
4M / 



ASOLANDO 



EPPS. 

Asks anyone — "Where's a tag for steps?' 
I answer — " Waiting its time 

Till somebody versed in the English tongue 

Shall start at the challenge, cry ' unsung 
Till now, and all for want of a rhyme, 

Is the prowess of Kentish Epps ? ' " 

Two hundred and eighty years ago 

Befell the seige of Ostend ; 
Epps soldiered it there : and, hew or hack 
lo At his breast as the enemy might, his back 

Got never a scratch : yet life must end 
Somehow, — Epps ended — so ! 

He had lost an eye on the walls, look out 
No longer could Epps : said he — 

" Give me Saint George's cross — our flag 

To carry : I can't see them — foes brag : 
At all events they shall soon see me, 

Knight and knave, lord and lout ! " 

"Epps got loose again ! " yelped the curs : 
20 " At him — the blind side best ! 

Together as one — in a rush, on a heap. 
Buffet the old maimed bull ! Fame's 
cheap 
This morn for whoso has mind to wrest 
Yon flag from his hold, win spurs ! "' 

As a big wave bursts on a rock, broke they 

On bannerman Epps : as staunch 
The drowned rock stands, but emerging 

feels 
Weeds late on its head lie loose at its heels. 
So left bare, swirl — stript ; root and 
branch, 

30 Of his \ stood — Epps laughed 

[ company j 
gay : 

"I with my flag — that's well, no fear 

The colours stick to the staff : 
But the staff 'tis a mere hand holds — lets 

fall 
If there stab me or shoot one knave of 

them all : 



To hin ler which game — "I hear Epps 
laugh — 
' Stick, flag, to a new staff — here ! " 

And off in a trice from the staff that's wood, 
And on to a staff that's flesh, 

T T7 , [ ti^s ] [ round ' 

lears Epps and \ r me 1 '■ 

[ binds J [ tight j 

about his breast 
The flag in a red swathe : "Here's the vest 40 
For my lifelong wear ; at the foe afresh ' 
Flagstaff show your hardihood ! " 

Whereat, in a twinkling, man and horse 

Went down — one, two and three, 
And how many more ? But they shot and 
slashed. 
[ bullets ] . , ' 

Two ■! !■ have riddled, two 'sword- 

[ balls J 
blades gashed 

I leave I 
The staff through the flag, — i \ 

I left J 
free 
To despoilers, — you think, — a corse? 

No ! Back from his slayers, staggeringly 50 
I But, staff-like stout to the last, 
Up to his mates — of the checked ad- 
vance — 
Reels Epps, his soul in his countenance. 
As he falters " See ! Flag to the staff 
j sticks fast, 

' And, flag saved, staff may die !'' 

And die did Epps, with his English round ; 

Not so the fame of the feat : 
For Donne and Dekker, brave pacts and 

rare. 
Gave it honour and praise : and I join the 



pair 



With heart that's loud though my voire 
compete 
As a pipe with their trumpet-sound 



(K> 



R. B. 



Jan. 6, 1 886. 



rSSSSHS^SBSSSBS- 



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